TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
I'm in the "I don't need it now, but if STC starts certifying people, I
guess I'll go ahead and get it" camp.
But, I saw a book in the bookstore that might be useful to those of you
looking for related case studies. It's called "The Complete Guide to
Certification for Computing Professionals" written by Drake Prometric and
published by McGraw-Hill (1995, $25). I didn't find "technical writing" or
"writing" in the index.
Just for discussion: The Santa Barbara STC Chapter recently had a speaker
named Michele Jackman who spoke on "New Attitudes for New Ways of Working."
One of her comments was that job-hopping is the trend for the future and
"technical communication is frog city." She claimed that certification
stifles the growth and creativity in a profession. She said that rather
than "defining the limits of the pond, we should be naming the lily pads."
No word on what to do if toads invade our pond, though.
Yvonne DeGraw, Technical Services o Web Authoring
yvonne -at- silcom -dot- com o Technical Writing http://www.silcom.com/~yvonne/ o Database Design and Publishing
Tel: 805/683-5784 o User-Interface Design
